Vacation, God, and Creation

For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice

that by the word of God the heavens existed long

ago and the earth was formed out of water and by

water, through which the world at that time was

destroyed, being flooded with water.

II Peter 3:5-6

My family and I just returned from an 9 day vacation in Wyoming and South Dakota.  It was a great time for us all, the diversity of beauty in Wyoming was incredible to behold, and the Black Hills of South Dakota were a very pleasant surprise.  One of the highlights of the trip was a two hour horseback ride in the Tetons.  On this ride we ascended over 2100 feet to one of the peaks in the area, and on the way up I couldn't contain myself and started singing "How Great Thou Art." And if you are not familiar with that hymn, the first two lines are as follows:

O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

They pow'r thro'out the universe displayed.

When thro'the woods and forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.

And the chorus is:

Then sings my soul my Savior God to Thee,

how great Thou art, how great Thou art. x2

As I was singing this, I was considering the greatness and grandeur of God's creation, and how the evidence of His handiwork is there for all to see; and, as a result, how all are without excuse for not seeking Him (Romans 1:19b-20), and to paraphrase something I read recently about how to reply to the atheist who wants evidence for God's existence, "You are standing on it!" 

Shortly after this, we were at the pinnacle of our ride on a peak about 8,400 feet high, and we had an uninterrupted 360 degree view of all the mountains and valleys around us.  Our guide, an old and gentlemanly cowboy named Doyle, was telling us about the other peaks and mountain ranges we were viewing, and he brought our attention to the mountain range to the west, which had several peaks around 11,000 feet high.  He then proceeded to tell us that those peaks were once part of an ancient seabed and contained fossils of seashells and marine life.  That is when II Peter 3:5-6 came to my mind.  Not only is there evidence that the world was formed out of water and by water, but there is world wide evidence of the flood, and it all  escapes man's notice.

Why does it escape his notice?  We see the answer in the one Greek word for escape notice, the word lanthano.  In the tense and voice used, this word means that man is willfully ignorant, culpably ignorant.  This is not a benign neglect on man's part, but a don't confuse me with the facts because I am being intentionally ignorant mind set.  It escapes their notice because they will it so.  It is hidden from them because they don't want to know the truth. In other words, it is a deliberate overlooking of the facts and their reality. It is the outcome of Romans 1:21, "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

On the way back down I was thinking about all of this in light of the recent kerfuffle over the video of Al Mohler at the Ligonier conference a couple of years ago.  In this video Al makes the case for a literal reading of the creation account in Genesis 1-2, and therefore for a young earth.  You see, for us as Christians, it is a matter of faith (Hebrews 11:3) to take the Scriptures at face value, and to value the Scriptures above the science that man foolishly calls wisdom.  This is not a blind faith, but a faith in what God has chosen to reveal to us.  And, personally, I believe He has not revealed any more to us concerning creation than He has in order to test our faith.  You see, what we believe about creation is a matter of faith.  We will either place our faith in the Bible, or place our faith in science; and placing our faith in science is no more than placing our faith in man, for science is the wisdom of man.  Science is man's attempt to explain creation, and it leaves God out; and even the old earth and theistic evolutionists have given in to the wisdom of the world, and have subordinated the Word of God, to the wisdom of man.

My friends, don't be swayed by the prevailing wisdom of the day, but be persuaded by the eternal truth of God.  Look at creation, in all its diversity and complexity, and marvel at this God who created it all.  Then bow down with the hosts of heaven and proclaim, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created." Revelation 4:11.  Amen, Lord, Amen!

Milestone VI

Well, it seems hard to believe, but another year has passed in the life of our church. We began Grace Covenant Church in our living room the third Sunday of June, 2007, and here we are six years later continuing to grow in the Lord as a church, and as individuals.  What a blessing it is each week to be part of the body of Christ here in our niche in West Texas.

Of course, each year is eventful, and unique and special in its own way.  This past year has certainly been no exception.  We went through a time of pruning that covered most of 2012, but John 15 tells us that times of pruning are preparation for times of increased fruitfulness, and that is what we have seen the last several months.  Yes, some of the fruitfulness has been increased numbers, but again we are seeing spiritual fruitfulness and growth in Christ in our people, which is the important fruit.  There is a visible love and concern for each other that has grown over the last year, especially the last several months, along with an obvious desire for the Lord to be glorified in our lives.  In thinking about this last year, I am reminded of the story of Gideon and the 10,000 men that had come to fight with him against the enemy. Before the battle the Lord pruned the 10,000 down to 300 so they would not think it was their numbers that gave them the victory, but would know it was the Lord who gave the victory, and therefore it was the Lord who would receive the glory.  That principle holds true for churches and individuals, as well.

Another thing the Lord has done for us this last year is bless us with a worship leader.  We have put  feelers out on a couple of occasions for someone to lead worship, but to no avail.  In December, we felt impressed by the Lord to be very intentional about finding someone, which is no small task since they would have to be bi-vocational.  But sure enough at that same time the Lord was moving in the heart of a young man who was teaching at a Bible College over 800 miles away that it was time to move from ministering at the college to ministering in a church.  Through a series of events only the Lord could orchestrate, the Lord moved him and his family to Midland at the first of April.  From the middle of nowhere Wyoming to the middle of nowhere Texas...the Lord has done a marvelous thing.

We had another baptism this year, recently in fact.  We have two brothers who play the sax in our worship.  I call them the Blues Brothers, and both of them have come to faith in Christ and been baptized since coming to our church.  The second was baptized just a few weeks ago, and I was blessed by his testimony, but both are active and committed to the Lord and their families are a blessing to our church.  In fact, the other Blues Brother and his wife adopted a child in January, and praying for them and rejoicing with them during the process was another blessing for us as a church.

In looking forward to this upcoming year, we are at a point where we need a youth pastor.  Again, he will have to be bi-vocational, but we know that the Lord will provide in His time, and in His way.

Apart from my own family, there is no where I would rather be than with our people each week. Being a pastor has its challenges and its joys, but I consider myself blessed to be the pastor of this flock of God known as Grace Covenant Church of Midland, Texas.  Thank You, Lord!

Another milestone is that this is the 500th post since this blog started.  I never thought I would have this much to say.

Milestone V

Well, on the third Sunday in June Grace Covenant Church passed another milestone, our fifth anniversary.  It certainly does not seem like it has been five years since we started, but by God's grace and in accordance with His eternal purpose we are still here.  And we are thankful for His calling us to this work, and are thankful for the provision of His grace to empower us to do what He has called us to do. 

As with any church plant there have been ups and downs, but I can truly say that even though we have experienced frustration and disappointments at times, we have never been discouraged; and that is because the Lord has been with us and has not let those times of frustration and disappointment turn into discouragement.

And I said all of that to say this, this has been the most interesting year so far, and in some sense the most daunting year.  We have had more families visit this year, and not come back.  We lost four families this last year that had been coming regularly, one for three years.  There were different reasons that we lost them, but lose them we did; and when you are a small church, that is noticeable.  However, we have had a sense of this being God's pruning of us so that not only will we bear more fruit, but that He will receive the glory for what is done.

But the good news is, as a church, we are richer spiritually now than we have ever been, more spiritually attuned, and more spiritually mature.  In the final analysis, this is the purpose of the church, any and all churches, to be the instrument of God in the lives of His people (His people being His people doing what they are gifted and called to do) to bring about a deepening Christ likeness in those He has placed in each church (Ephesians 4:11-16).  It is a deep and abiding joy to me as the pastor to see more of Christ in our people now than I saw in them a year ago. 

This year we finished the Gospel of John, which took about three and a half years to preach through.  We went through the book The Holiness of God, and are half way through Knowing God in our men's group.  We, again, took six of our men to the Shepherd's Conference, and the consensus was that it was the best one our group has attended.  Our ladies went through a couple of Precept studies and several attended the Gospel Coalition's Women's Conference last week.  Our children continue to hear the gospel consistently during their Sunday School time, and we are counting on the Lord's Word not to return to Him void.  Our people do love the Lord, and those that are here are developing and demonstrating faithfulness in their walk and service to the Lord.  It is indeed a great thing to be part of.

We are going through Psalm 119 and Titus over the next few months.  I have already preached out of Psalm 119 for the last couple of months, and will start the series on Titus next week.  I will take a few breaks in Titus to preach on Psalm 119.  In September we will be blessed to have Nigel Shailer, the Academic Dean of the Shepherd's Bible College in New Zealand, come to preach to us and to share with us what they are doing to train, equip, and evangelize in that part of the world; and we are having him come to prepare us, as a church, to support their work. 

All in all, it is a great and glorious blessing to be a part of Grace Covenant Church, to be its pastor, to lead and shepherd its people.  The Lord is indeed good and does good, to Him and Him alone be all glory, honor, and praise.  May His name be blessed forever and ever.

Milestone IV

Well, the water of another year has passed under the bridge as we have finished year number four in the life of Grace Covenant Church.  I don't know how church years compare to dog years, or such, but this has been a pretty quick year; but time does that, as it has its own ebbs and flows like the tide.  Of course, the main reason it has passed so quickly is that we have been pretty busy.

One of the good things to happen was our move to a better facility last August.  We are now meeting at Midland Classical Academy, a private Christian school that has already housed two other churches.  When the last church moved we jumped on the chance to meet there, and now have consistent heating and cooling and a nicer all around facility to meet in, and room for growth.  We were able to also get the lease at a rate that was affordable, and are appreciative of MCA working with us as we are paying less than our predecessors.

One of the highlights again this year was the baptism of two men last fall.  One was saved during our Easter service and the other had come to the conviction that his salvation had occured only a few years ago.  It was a joy to baptize these men and hear their testimonies of God's faithful work in their hearts.  Both are active and committed, which is a double blessing.

Our other elder, Bill Lawless, and I led a leadership development group on Saturday mornings.  Our desire is for this to be the foundation of training men in our church.  We limited it to the leadership team, but will open it up this next year to more of the men in our church.  It is my belief that the church will go no farther than the strength of its men will carry it, and we want to train up the men in our church to be strong in the faith.  In that vein, we once again took seven men to the Shepherd's conference; and each year it leaves its mark on us.

That is not to rule out the role of women in the church, nor is it to say that the women should not be strong spiritually, as well.  We sent seven of our women to the True Woman conference in Dallas, and will send a group to the True Woman conference in San Antonio this year as well.  It was a spiritually rich conference that has born fruit in the lives of those who went.  We also had a women's mid-week bible study this year and hope that it will grow.

Additionally, we had a church wide bible study on Tuesday nights.  We used the Precept curriculum and studied Covenant last fall and Exodus in the spring.

Our music/worship has been blessed of the Lord this last year.  He indeed inhabits the praises of His people, and His presence during our worship time has been a joy and blessing.  We have two sax playing brothers  who provide the music on most Sundays as our keyboard player has had job assignments that have taken him away many Sundays.  But, it is required of a steward to be faithful, and that is what our worship team has been, and God has honored that and shown us His goodness.

I am still preaching through John's gospel, and will finish up chapter fourteen this week.  Not just because we are in John, but out of personal conviction, we have really focused on being more gospel centered and gospel proclaiming.  We want our people to go deeper and deeper into Christ, to more fully understand and more deeply appreciate grace.  But to do this you must have a grasp on the gospel, in all its fullness, in all its aspects, in all of its application; in other words, the better you grasp the gospel the richer will God's grace be to you.  As such, we believe the gospel is important for the believer as well as for the unbeliever.

Speaking of the unbeliever, we pray corporately each Sunday for the lost that God has placed in our individual paths.  We also have identified one thousand households in north Midland that we will target with the gospel every three to four months.  We are going to start out by sending them Grace for You, an evanglestic booklet written by John MacArthur, that is the telling of the story of the prodigal son. We are going to send them something each mailing that is gospel centered and gospel proclaiming.  What will God do with this?  We are not sure, but we are sure that He stands over His word to perform it, that the gospel is the power of salvation, and beautiful are the feet that bring the gospel.  In addtion to these, as a church we are also praying for the Hispanics in our area, as they make up close to 40% of the population.

Speaking of the gospel.  My wife, Angie, has made it a focus in her teaching the children to present the gospel in as many lessons as possible.  I am grateful that our children are hearing the gospel, hearing of their need for a Savior, hearing of God's great salvation in Christ.  Planting gospel seeds is an important, really the most important function, of a children's ministry.  We all are to receive the word implanted which is able to save our souls, so why not plant it early and often?

I gave the covenant charge in two weddings this year.  It was a blessing to me to be involved in them, and to see the seriousness with which the couples took their vows.  May God's protection and blessing be upon them.

Yes, we have had some numeric growth this last year, and the number of our visitors has increased; but the real story is the continued growth of the people.  God's word does not return to Him void, and it is Him that is building His church.  I am so blessed to be the pastor of this group of people that have committed themselves to the Lord through Grace Covenant Church; and blessed to be able to serve the Lord in this way.  My prayer for myself is for my own faithfulness and obedience to Him who has given Me this sacred responsibility and trust.  May He be glorified in and through this gracious work of His called Grace Covenant church. 

Being Southern Baptist

When I was growing up my immediate family was the so called black sheep of the clan, as we were Methodist while everyone else was Southern Baptist.  The reason for this was that my mother was Methodist and my dad was a non-believer.  So we went to the Methodist church.  In fact, we went nearly every time the door was opened.  But whenever we were visiting the rest of the family we always went to a Southern Baptist church.  Even though the gospel I heard in the Methodist church was the same gospel I heard in the Southern Baptist church, they just did church differently, and sometimes were just a little too stuffy for my taste.  So I grew up with a bit of prejudice towards Southern Baptists. 

Fast forward to college and I was an irregular church attender, but still, when I went to church, I went to the Methodist church; and made the audacious statement that there were two things I would never be...a Baptist and an insurance salesman.  In my thinking, at the time, they were both about the same.

Well, you guessed it, in the Lord's timing I became both a Baptist and an insurance salesman.  If anyone tells you the Lord does not have a sense of humor or enjoys irony, send them to me.  I did not become a Christian until after we had joined a Southern Baptist church.  The reason we joined a SB church was that we could not find a Methodist church that preached out of the Bible, and even though I was not yet a real Christian, I thought I was; and wanted to hear the Bible preached out of when I went to church.  So, for most of my Christian life I have been part of a Southern Baptist church.

Not being brought up Southern Baptist I have never had that inbred allegiance to the Southern Baptist Convention, like one would have for being a native Texan.  I had always considered myself first and foremost a conservative evangelical who happened to be Southern Baptist.  I did leave the SBC for almost three years and helped plant a Christian and Missionary Alliance church, but when the time to leave came I went back to the SBC.  

This brings us up to now.  When we started Grace Covenant Church in June 2007 I had no particular design for us to be Southern Baptist, or any other flavor for that matter, but I believed that at some point we would need to be affiliated with a group larger than us because I don't believe in Lone Ranger churches, and, honestly, most churches are not big enough to do all that they need or want to do for missions and evangelism.  Also, when we started we had two familes that were anti-SBC.  When we began, affiliation was not a major priority as our main concerns were to preach the word, establish the church, and get the church on firm footing. 

The two families that were anti-SBC have left, and after two years we believed the church was at a point that we needed to become affiliated.  So we set some criteria and they are as follows:

Doctrinal compatibility and stability.  Does the group as a whole have a high view of God and Scripture?
Ecclesiological compatibility.  Do we hold to a common view of the church, do we hold the same view on the ordinances?
Missions/Evangelism both here in the States and abroad, not neglecting one or the other.
Missions/Evangelism here in Texas.
Local church autonomy. 
Partnership attitude.
Seminary training by affiliated seminaries, who hold to the same doctrinal standards, to train the next generation of pastors. 
Resources that are available for the local church.
Gospel partnership opportunities.

Although there are many fine and godly groups and denominations to affiliate with, when we applied this set of criteria to the different groups and denominations it became obvious to us that all roads led to the Southern Baptist Convention.

The SBC certainly is not perfect, we don't expect them to be, but they do fit us the best, and we hope our partnership with them is mutually profitable for the glory of God and the expansion of His kingdom.

Affliction

Affliction. The very word conjurs up unpleasant images, such as pain, misery, and oppression, No one really likes that word, especially when it relates to themselves. Yet, most of us have been the objects of affliction, have gone through times of affliction, or will soon be afflicted. As Christians, how should we view affliction?


As always the key is in the Scriptures. First, we need to start with the knowledge that affliciton is not random. Psalm 103:19 tells us that the Lord's sovereignty rules over all; and Romans 11:36 tells us that all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him. So we see that there is not situation that the Lord is not sovereign over, and does not pass through His counsel. A few years ago, Pastor James Boice of the historic Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, was diagnosed with liver cancer already in an advanced stage. In his last address to his beloved congregation he said, "I know that many of you are praying for my healing, and I appreciate that, but let us remember that the same God we are praying to for my healing could have kept me from getting cancer." Dr. Boice understood the sovereignty, the Divine providence of God in the affliciton that had come upon him.


Secondly, since affliction is not random, and is under the aegis of God, it should not surprise us when it happens. I Peter 4:12 tells us to not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon us, as though some strange thing is happening to us. James 1:2 tells us that trials will come upon us; and I Peter 1:6 tells us that trials are necessary. So to think that our life will not have times of afflicition and suffering is not reality. The direction or source of the afflicition may be a shock or a surprise, but not the affliction itself. There is a well known pastor who many years ago was in a staff meeting and was in the middle of telling his staff how thankful he was for them, and how much he appreciated their friendship when one of them replied, "If you think we are your friends, you've got another think coming," and the entire staff resigned and left, as that staff member had secretly engineered a revolt against him. Needless to say, he was devastated; and at his church that day is referred to as Black Tuesday.


Thirdly, since affliction is not random, and is under the aegis of God, it must, it does have a purpose. Affliction is purposeful, it is useful, both to God and for us. I Peter 1 and 4 tell us that trials prove out the genuineness and the quality of our faith. James 1 tells us that affliction produces endurance, and that endurance makes us more mature and complete in our faith. Afflicition does not come upon us because of the whimsy of God, or because God is being capricious. It always has a higher aim, an eternal benefit. God's dealings with us are not just for the here and now, but also for the hereafter, as He has our eternal good constantly in His mind. To paraphrase I Peter 1:6-7, at the revelation of Christ we will not stand before Him empty handed wondering if we will be accepted, but will have a faith in hand that has been put to the test and found to be the real thing. This proven faith will then be the source of our praise, honor, and glory. Afflicition is the red badge of our faith. Also, Psalm 119:75 says, "I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me." Affliction from God always has a purpose, a good purpose, and it is because of God's faithfulness that He brings it about.


Fourthly, there are some present benefits to affliction, as well. Psalm 119:67 says, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word." Affliction brings us back in line with the word of God. So we need to examine ourselves in light of our affliction to see where we might have gone astray. Psalm 119:71 tells us, "It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes." Through affliction God teaches us His word, and we see so many times that in the midst of affliction God's word comes to us to teach us, to comfort us, to direct us, to sustain us. It could be something new and unlearned from His word, or it might be something we already know that comes to us; but in and through affliction His word becomes part of us, a part of the fabric of who we are.


Finally, note that in verse 71 the Psalmist says it is good for us to be afflicted. We know that God's purposes are good, but we also get some insight into why affliction is good from the word itself. This Hebrew word for affliction, along with a few of its close cousins, means to find oneself in a stunted, lowly, humble position, or to be brought low. Why is it good for us to be in this lowly humble position? Because that is when we are most receptive to the Lord, and when we walk the closest with Him. It is when we are humble that His grace is most available. It is when we are humble that we see our need and His supply. It is when we are humble that we are the most cognizant of our sin, and the most repentant. It is when we are humble that we are also the most dependent and the less self-sufficient. It has been said that if dependence is your goal, then weakness is an advantage.


The two examples I used above were both pastors, and that is intentional. Pastors are afflicted, and it is good for them to be afflicted, just like everyone else. In fact, it may be more needful for us to be afflicted. If you have read about life of Calvin, who many consider the greatest theologian/pastor of the church, you read of a life of almost constant affliction, but also a life greatly used of God. The genesis for this post comes from what I have been thinking about over the last several days. As you may know, I am bi-vocational and last week was a difficult week workwise, plus my son made a trip to the Urgent Care center to have stitches in his chin. Then on Sunday morning while preparing the location where we have church, I stepped off of the stage while looking another direction, tore ligaments in my ankle, and had to be taken to the emergency room. During the incident and since then, the word of God has come to my mind...it is good for me to be afflicted, in faithfulness God has afflicted me, don't be surprised at the ordeal, consider it all joy that you are being matured and completed, trials are necessary, trust in the Lord God with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding, God is able to work all things together for good for those who love Him, His power is perfected in weakness; and another from Psalm 119:65 "You have dealt well with Your servant according to Your word.

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune may appear random, and even unfair, to the world; but for us as children of the living God, we can rest assured that they have passed through the counsel of God for our ultimate good and His ultimate glory. So, my friends, let us give thanks unto the Lord when affliction comes our way, because it is indeed good for us to be afflicted.

Milestone II

Last month we passed our second anniversary as a church. In reflecting on this last year and then over the last two years I am filled with a sense of awe, thankfulness, and appreciation. The Lord has continued to bless us and confirm to us that this indeed has been His calling to us. My wife, Angie, teaches the children during the church time and so she wants to listen to my sermons later in the week, and likes for me to listen with her. I can tell you from listening to myself, that it is obviously the Holy Spirit at work, because it sure isn't my preaching; and despite my preaching people are faithful and we have continued to grow. But in thinking about it, that is the way it should be because, ultimately, it is the Lord who promised to build His church; and from I Corinthians we know that the Spirit gives the gift, the Lord gives the ministry, and God causes the effects. All of us are just vessels of clay that the Lord has graciously let participate in the accomplishment of His great eternal purpose.

We have continued to add families to the church, not in a great amount, but steadily as we have been adding a new family about every three months. In April we moved out of our house and are meeting in the Young Life building. The Young Life staff were very supportive and gracious in letting us use their building and we are only paying them $300 per month for the use of their facility. It is a perfect fit for us, at this point in time, and allows us some room for growth.

Spiritually, people are growing in their faith and in their knowledge of God and of His Son. Many have shared with me what the Lord is doing in their life; and one lady, who doesn't like to talk in front of people, shared with the entire church what the Lord has been doing in her life over the last year and half she has been coming to our church. Along with this we are having our first baptismal service next month. What a joy to be a part of this, and it has been one of the confirmations that we are doing what the Lord has called us to do.

One of the highlights of the last year was taking two of our men to the Shepherd's conference, along with my friend Ron from Dallas. This was their first real exposure to ministry of that quality and spiritual power, and it made quite an impact on them. Both are looking forward to returning next spring. This was the third year for me to attend, and each year a question I have had concerning ministry has been answered as a result of the conference.

I finished Colossians last fall, then preached through Jonah (personally convicting), then followed Jonah up with a topical series on love, then started preaching through the Gospel of John (what a delight). After finishing the prologue of John (first 18 verses), I am taking a break from John and preaching a series on the church which covers the function of the church in its outward expression toward God (I Peter 2:4-12), in its inward expression towards the members (Ephesians 4:7-16), God's gifts of enablement (I Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, I Peter 4), church leadership (I Timothy 3, Titus 1), and the ordinances of the church (their role in the life of the church). Once I finish the church series it's back to John.

There are unique challenges to being a bi-vocational pastor and church planter, but the Lord's grace is always sufficient. With that being said, we are looking forward to this next year and seeing all that the Lord has in store for us at Grace Covenant Church.

Reflections and Thanksgiving

There is a term that has fallen into disuse among Christians over the last couple of generations and it is "Divine providence." Divine providence is the term that was used to describe the hand of God in the affairs of everday life and the hand of God in the course of one's life. It pulled all of the seemingly random events, the decisions, the people, and their effect upon us and put them under the aegis of God. I believe that the church in general has lost this sense of God using and supervising all of these to bring about His desired purpose in our lives. Listen to what some of the Scriptures have to say about His Divine providence:

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way.
Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 20:24 Man's steps are ordained by the Lord, how then can man understand his way?
Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

We also see this played out in the lives of many people in the Bible. The most notable being Joseph, and listen to his response to his brothers years after they had sold him into slavery.
Genesis 50:21 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

This was on my mind all weekend as I was in Dallas/Plano at the end of last week and drove by the place where I lived for the four and a half years we were there. I have been by our old home several times in the years since we have been in Midland, but this time really caused me to reflect upon all the things that happened during that short four and a half years we were there.

I was a brand-new Christian when we moved there in August of 1980, and even though I was looking to pursue a career in the corporate end of the insurance business, I had a strong sense in my spirit that moving to Dallas/Plano was God's desire for me. And it was, as the move was about much more than just my career in the insurance business as the Lord used that time to ground me in my faith, to set the foundation of where I am now spiritually, to teach me about Himself, to teach me about myself, and to chart the course of my life spiritually, personally, and professionally. When we left Dallas at the end of 1984 I was a much different person than when I arrived, much more mature, much wiser, spiritually grounded, and with the realization that I had so much further to go. This was all due to the Divine providence of God in orchestrating all the events and people that were part of my time in Dallas, and in His providence He moved us to Midland where the work He began in Dallas continues on.

In reflecting on all of this I was very overwhelmed and had to stop and give thanks to God for His Divine oversight of my life. His goodness and mercy to me, and His watchcare over me ,were so poignant in my spirit as to leave me breathless. God let me see with spiritual eyes what He was doing in my life and I am humbled beyond my ability to express it.

May God grant you that you would see with spiritual eyes His marvelous Divine providence in the affairs of your life, and that you would see with eyes of eternity His care for you.

Milestone

We passed a milestone this last weekend. In the eternal scheme of things it probably wouldn't even be a blip on the radar, but it is a milestone for us none the less. This last Sunday we finished our first year as a church as we began Grace Covenant Church on the third Sunday of June 2007. There are many things that have gone through my mind over the last couple of days, but foremost would be the gratitude I have to the Lord for calling me and giving me the privilege of serving Him in this way. Along with the gratitude is also a sense of awe that people came, and are still coming, in spite of me also leading the singing for most of this last year. The Lord has brought some great people to be a part of this and I am blessed to be their pastor.

I wrestled with the Lord for almost a year before I finally accepted the fact that He was calling me to become a pastor. What were my excuses? 1. My age, as I was 55 at that time. 2. I am divorced and remarried. 3. No seminary degree or training. 4. Me? Why would the Lord be calling me? 5. I did not trust myself and wanted assurance that this was truly from the Lord. 6. I have been on the ground floor of two other church plants and never desired to be the pastor, and in both instances I knew my place was to be a teacher. But I could not deny the burden in my spirit and the desire of my heart. In fact, it was the change in my heart from not wanting to ever be a pastor, because of all the stuff that goes along with it, to having it be such a fervent desire that has been one of the confirmations that this indeed is a calling from the Lord; but it was the encouragement and admonishment from my wife, Angie, that finally got me off of high center and stepping out in faith.

In the four months leading up to us starting the church Angie and I talked often about the things involved with starting a church, and one of my comments to her was that we would be surprised at who would come and who would not, and I was right. We talked specifically to about 30 couples about what we felt the Lord was leading us to do, what the philosphy of ministry would be, and what the mission and purpose of the church would be. Some of them told us they were interested, some were non-commital, some were not interested, but when the first Sunday came only two couples that we had specifically talked to came and one of them had their nose in the air and left as soon as they could. However, we had others come that we did not specifically talk to and they have continued to come. We had a family join in October and another join last month, and the one who joined last month was an answer to everyone's prayer as he can play the guitar and has volunteered to lead the singing. We now have 14 adults, two teenagers, and seven children. Angie is teaching the children in the front bedroom and we are holding the worship service in our living room.

Where is the Lord leading us? Honestly, I am not sure. We are meeting in our home, but I don't consider us a house church nor want to be one. We have just incorporated and I will be applying for our tax exempt status soon. We are considering the pros and cons of affiliation or remaining independent. I did not start this with a vision or a grand plan, but with the desire to be obedient to what I knew the Lord was calling me to do and the prayer to the Lord to keep me faithful to the task He has assigned me; and Angie as my helpmate has accepted my calling as her calling.

The Lord is having us take it a week at a time, so my answer to several who have asked me what my vision is for this church has been, "The service this coming Sunday." We are working our way through Colossians. We started in Colossians last June and I will be preaching on Colossians 3:16-17 this coming Sunday.

Along the way, and even this last week, the Lord has been gracious to give me confirmations that this is what He has called and is continuing to call me to do. Along with the change of heart that I mentioned earlier has been a firm conviction in my own spirit that I am right where He wants me to be, a conviction that has never left even through the few times of disappointment. All the ways He has given me confirmation have reminded me of the Lord dealing with Elijah in I Kings 19:11-13 So He said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" God is indeed faithful and we are looking forward to the weeks and months ahead as He guides us, not through spectacular events, but through the gentle breeze of His Spirit and the confirmation of His word.